Surveys around her, in the bless'd abode, An hundred sons, and every son a god: Not with less glory mighty Dulness crown'd, 135 Shall take through Grub-street, her triumphant round; And her Parnassus glancing o'er at once, Behold an hundred sons, and each a Dunce. Mark first that youth who takes the foremost place, And thrusts his person full into your face. With all thy father's virtues bless'd, be born! And a new Cibber shall the stage adorn. 140 A second see, by meeker manners known, IMITATIONS. v. 131. As Berecynthia, &c.] 145 "Felix prole virum, qualis Berecynthia mater "Inveitur curru Phrygias turrita per urbes, "Laeta deum partu, Centum complexa nepotes, "Omnes coelicolas, omnes super alta tenentes.' Virg. Æn. VI. v. 139. Mark first that youth, &c. "Ille vides, pura juvenis qui nititur hasta, "Proxima sorte tenet lucis loca."---Virg. Æn. VI. v. 141. With all thy father's virtues bless'd, be born.] A manner of expression used by Virgil, Ecl. viii. "Nascere! praeque diem veniens age, Lucifer.". As also that of patris virtutibus, Ecl. iv. It was very natural to shew to the Hero, before all others, his own son, who had already begun to emulate. him in his theatrical, poetical, and every political capacities. By the attitude in which he here presents himself, the reader may be cautioned against ascribing wholly to the father the merit of the epithet Cibberian, which is equally to be understood with an eye to the son. Thee shall each alehouse, thee each gillhouse mourn, And answ'ring ginshops sourer sighs return. Jacob, the scourge of Grammar, mark with awe; Lo P---p---le's brow, tremendous to the Town, REMARKS. 150 v. 149. Jacob, the scourge of grammar, mark with awe.] "This gentleman is a son of a considerable maltster of "Romsey in Southamptonshire, and bred to the law "under a very eminent attorney: who, between his "more laborious studies, has diverted himself with po66 etry. He is a great admirer of poets and their works, "which has occasioned him to try his genius that way. "He has writ in prose the Lives of the Poets, Essays, "and, a great many Law books, Accomplished Con66 veyancer, Modern Justice," &c. Giles Jacob of himself, Lives of Poets, vol. i. He very grosly, and unprovoked, abused in that Book the Author's friend Mr.Gay. v. 152. Horneck---Rooms.] These two were virulent VARIATIONS. v. 149. In the first edition it was Woolston, the scourge of Scripture, mark with awe, And mighty Jacob, blunderbuss of law! v. 151. Lo P---p---le's brow, &c.] In the former edition, Haywood, Centlivre, glories of their race, Lo Horneck's fierce, and Roome's funereal face. IMITATIONS. v. 145. From the strong fate of drams if thou get free.] ------si qua fata aspera rumpas, "Tu Marcellus eris!" v. 147. These shall each alehouse, &c.] Virg. Æn. VI. Virg. Æn. VII. "Te nemus Anguitiae, vitrea te Fucinus unda, "Te liquidi flevere lacus." Virgil again, Ecl. x. ------etíam lauri, etiam flevere myricae," &c.. 7.150. ------" duo fulmina belli Virg. Æn. VI Lo sneering Goode, half malice, and half whim, Each cygnet sweet, of Bath and Tunbridge race, 155 REMARKS. 160 party-writers, worthily coupled together, and, one would think, prophetically; since, after the publishing of this piece the former dying, the latter succeeded him in honour and employment. The first was Philip Horneck, author of a Billingsgate paper called The High German Doctor. Edward Roome was son of an undertaker for funerals in Fleet-street, and writ some of the papers called Pasquin, where, by malicious innuendoes, he endeas · voured to represent our Author guilty of malevolent practices with a great man then under prosecution of parliament. Of this man was made the following epigram: "You ask why Roome diverts you with his jokes, "Yet if he writes as dull as other folks, "You wonder at it---This, Sir, is the case, "The jest is lost, unless he prints his face." P-ple was the author of some vile plays and pamphlets. He published abuses on our Author in a paper called The Prompter. v. 153.---Goode.] An ill-natured critic, who writ a satire on our Author, called The Mock Esop, and many anonymous libels in newspapers, for hire. VARIATIONS. v. 157. Each songster, riddler, &c.] In the former edit. 164 Down, down the larum, with inpetuous whirl, The Pindars, and the Miltons of a Curl. Silence, ye Wolves! while Ralph to Cynthia howls, And makes night hideous---Answer him, ye Owls! Sense, speech, and measure, living tongues and dead, Let all give way---and Morris may be read. Flow, Welsted, flow! like thine inspirer, beer, "Tho' stale, not ripe; tho' thin, yet never clear; So sweetly mawkish, and so smoothly dull; Heady, not strong; o'erflowing, though not full. REMARKS. 170 v. 15.---Ralph.] James Ralph, a name inserted after the first editions, not known to our author till he writ a swearing-piece called Sawney, very abusive of Dr. Swift, Mr. Gay, and himself. These lines alluded to a thing of his entitled Night, a poem. This low writer attended his own works with panegyrics in the Journals, and once in particular praised himself highly above Mr. Addison, in wretched remarks upon that author's account of English Poets printed in a London Journal, Sept. 17, 1728. He was wholly illiterate, and knew no language, not even French. Being advised to read the Rules of dramatic poetry before he began a play, he smiled, and replied, "Shakespeare writ without rules." He ended at last, in the common sink of all such writers, a political newspaper, to which he was recommended by his friend Arnall, and received a small pittance for pay. IMITATIONS. v. 166. And maker right hideous.------] "Visit thus the glimpses of the noon, Shakesp. v. 169. Flow, Welsted, flow! &c.] Parody on Denham, Cooper's Hill: "O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream "My great example, as it is my theme: "Tho? deep, yet clear; tho' gentle, yet not dull; "Strong without rage; without o'erflowing full! Ah, Dennis! Gildon, ah! what ill-starr'd rage Shall this a Pasquin, that a Grumbler write; "But who is he, in closet close y-pent, As thou preserv'st the dulness of the past! IMITATIONS. 175 180 190 7.177. Embrace, embrace, my sons! be foes no more!] Virg. Æn. VI. --Ne tanta animis assuescite bella, "Neu patriæ validas in viscera vertite vires: "Tuque prior, tu parce---sanguis meus!"v. 179. Behold yon' pair, in strict embraces join' d.] Virg. Æn. VI. Illae autem, paribus quas fulgere cernis in armis, "Concordes animæ"- And in n. V. "Euryalus, forma insignis viridique juventa, "Nisus amore pio pueri." v. 185. But who is be, &c.] Virg. Æn. VI. questions and answers in this manner, of Numa: Quis procul ille autem camis insignis olivæ, "Sacraferens?--noscocrines, incanaquementa,"&c |